No motorist likes paying out money to replace their tyres, especially when it’s unexpected. We’re often asked here at M&BM Motors how can I make my tyres last longer…
Motoring costs are creeping up every year and unfortunately tyre performance is an area which you cannot ignore. In fact, there’s a legal requirement to ensure your vehicle has four tyres which comply with minimum tread depth.
Aside from legal duties, it’s also crucial for safety purposes that your car has adequate grip on the road. Without good contact, your tyres will do little to protect you in the event an emergency stop in torrential rain or frost.
While we cannot always avoid a blowout situation, such as driving over glass or a nail unexpectedly, it is possible to prolong the life of our tyres by altering our driving habits.
This means that our tyres will travel a greater number of miles for us before requiring replacement, thus shielding us from an unwanted bill for a little longer.
Racing-car style driving with abrupt starts and stops and speeding around corners are responsible for premature wear and tear. If you drive quickly and fail to allow smooth gear transitions or clutch control, then you will most definitely be reducing the quality of your tyres.
Hitting obstacles such as curbs, potholes, rocks and uneven concrete will also have a negative impact on tyre health, particularly when the collision happens at speed.
In addition to bad driving habits, there are a number of mechanical areas which can help you to extend the life of your tyres, so long as these areas are subject to regular maintenance.
Here are five ways we can minimise tyre wear and protect your four wheels for longer:
1. Air pressure.
Few motorists routinely check their tyre pressure, waiting until MOT and service inspections to ensure that are properly inflated. Under-inflated tyres not only increases your fuel bill but they also increase the tyre’s contact area with the road. With a greater surface area in direct contact with the road, it’s no surprise a wider area of the tyre will be worn out more quickly.
2. Check your wheel alignment is correct.
If your wheel alignment is wrong, your tyres will wear quickly and unevenly. Tell-tale signs are when your vehicle pulls to the left or right when travelling on a straight road without any cross wind or when your tyres appear to be wearing abnormally. Wheel alignment is relatively simple to fix and can save you money in premature tyre replacement.
3. Have you rotated your tyres?
It seems rather obvious but rotating tyres regularly continues to be one of the best ways of prolonging their lifespan. Front tyres wear faster than rear because of the movement induced by steering. The majority of car manufacturers recommend tyre rotation at every 6,000 miles but motorists frequently leave this until their annual service – when they might have driven 12,000 or more miles.
4. How much are you carrying onboard?
Excess load increases wear and tear on tyres and also increases your fuel bill. If you’re keeping everything including the kitchen sink in your boot, you might want to reconsider storing it in the garage.
5. Driving style.
Briefly mentioned before, an aggressive driving technique requiring frequent braking will place your tyres under more stress than normal thus shortening their durability.
I hope you found this article on ‘How can I make my tyres last longer’ useful. Most motorists should aim to get at least 20,000 miles out of their front tyres on a front-wheel drive car and double that for rear tyres.
Don’t wait until thread depth is at or below the
legal limit
before replacement, switch them in good time.
